The first time I met Diane was in July of 1999, when I began my duties as Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. At that time, Diane worked from the Lawrence County Vo-Tech. Her office was in a long, narrow closet. Honestly – a closet. When I eventually found the location, she was impeccably dressed (as always) and enthusiastically greeted me.

From that moment on, I treasured Diane.

We would talk about family, New Castle, traveling, her love of wine and the loves of our lives – her husband, Ricky, and my wife, Tammy. She always asked to see pictures of our daughters and was genuinely interested in hearing about Paige and Meredith.

I would ask her what Ricky was doing for Valentine’s Day to steal some ideas for Tammy. Their marriage and love for one another always has and always will be the standard for our relationship. Read the rest of this entry »